Improve our fitness, as an organic whole, to shape and cope with an ever-changing environment.

Grand strategy

Shape pursuit of national goal so that we not only amplify our spirit and strength (while undermining and isolating our adversaries) but also influence the uncommitted or potential adversaries so that they are drawn toward our philosophy and are empathetic toward our success.

Strategic aim

Diminish adversarys capacity while improving our capacity to adapt as an organic whole, so that our adversary cannot copewhile we can copewith events/efforts as they unfold.

Strategy

Penetrate adversarys moral-mental-physical being to dissolve his moral fiber, disorient his mental images, disrupt his operations, and overload his system, as well as subvert, shatter, seize, or otherwise subdue those moral-mental-physical bastions, connections, or activities that he depends upon, in order to destroy internal harmony, produce paralysis, and collapse adversarys will to resist.

Grand tactics

Operate inside adversarys observation-orientation-decision-action loops, or get inside his mind-time-space, to create tangles of threatening and/or non-threatening events/efforts as well as repeatedly generate mismatches between those events/efforts adversary observes, or imagines, and those he must react to, to survive

Maneuver adversary beyond his moral-mental-physical capacity to adapt or endure so that he can neither divine our intentions nor focus his efforts to cope with the unfolding strategic design or related decisive strokes as they penetrate, splinter, isolate or envelop, and overwhelm him.

Tactics

Observe-orient-decide-act more inconspicuously, more quickly, and with more irregularity as basis to keep or gain initiative as well as shape and shift main effort to repeatedly and unexpectedly penetrate vulnerabilities and weaknesses exposed by that effort or other effort(s) that tie-up, divert, or drain-away adversary attention (and strength) elsewhere.

141 6Pattern

National goal

Improve our fitness, as an organic whole, to shape and cope with an ever-changing environment.

Grand strategy

Shape pursuit of national goal so that we not only amplify our spirit and strength (while undermining and isolating our adversaries) but also influence the uncommitted or potential adversaries so that they are drawn toward our philosophy and are empathetic toward our success.

Strategic aim

Diminish adversarys capacity while improving our capacity to adapt as an organic whole, so that our adversary cannot copewhile we can copewith events/efforts as they unfold.

Strategy

Penetrate adversarys moral-mental-physical being to dissolve his moral fiber, disorient his mental images, disrupt his operations, and overload his system, as well as subvert, shatter, seize, or otherwise subdue those moral-mental-physical bastions, connections, or activities that he depends upon, in order to destroy internal harmony, produce paralysis, and collapse adversarys will to resist.

Grand tactics

Operate inside adversarys observation-orientation-decision-action loops, or get inside his mind-time-space, to create tangles of threatening and/or non-threatening events/efforts as well as repeatedly generate mismatches between those events/efforts adversary observes, or imagines, and those he must react to, to survive

Maneuver adversary beyond his moral-mental-physical capacity to adapt or endure so that he can neither divine our intentions nor focus his efforts to cope with the unfolding strategic design or related decisive strokes as they penetrate, splinter, isolate or envelop, and overwhelm him.

Tactics

Observe-orient-decide-act more inconspicuously, more quickly, and with more irregularity as basis to keep or gain initiative as well as shape and shift main effort to repeatedly and unexpectedly penetrate vulnerabilities and weaknesses exposed by that effort or other effort(s) that tie-up, divert, or drain-away adversary attention (and strength) elsewhere.

141 7Generalization

Need fighter that can both lose energy and gain energy more quickly while outturning an adversary.

In other words, suggests a fighter that can pick and choose engagement opportunitiesyet has fast transient (buttonhook) characteristics that can be used to either force an overshoot by an attacker or stay inside a hard turning defender.

Boyds study of strategy began as a fighter pilot and an instructor at the USAF Fighter Weapons School. 4 8Idea expansion

Idea of fast transients suggests that, in order to win, we should operate at a faster tempo or rhythm than our adversariesor, better yet, get inside adversarys observation-orientation-decision-action time cycle or loop.

Why? Such activity will make us appear ambiguous (unpredictable) thereby generate confusion and disorder among our adversariessince our adversaries will be unable to generate mental images or pictures that agree with the menacing as well as faster transient rhythm or patterns they are competing against.

5 9Human nature

Goal

Survive, survive on own terms, or improve our capacity for independent action.

The competition for limited resources to satisfy these desires may force one to

Diminish adversarys capacity for independent action, or deny him the opportunity to survive on his own terms, or make it impossible for him to survive at all.

Implication

Life is conflict, survival, and conquest.

10 10Impression

In examining these many points of view one is bombarded with the notion that

It is advantageous to possess a variety of responses that can be applied rapidly to gain sustenance, avoid danger, and diminish adversarys capacity for independent action.

The simpler organismsthose that make-up man as well as man working with other men in a higher level contextmust cooperate or, better yet, harmonize their activities in their endeavors to survive as an organic synthesis.

To shape and adapt to change one cannot be passive instead one must take the initiative.

Put more simply and directly the above comments leave one with the impression that variety/rapidity/harmony/initiative (and their interaction) seem to be key qualities that permit one to shape and adapt to an ever-changing environment.

With this impression in mind together with our notion of getting inside an adversarys O-O-D-A loop we will proceed in our historical investigation.

12 11Historical patternSun Tzu The Art of War c. 400 B.C.

Theme

Harmony and trust

Justice and well being

Inscrutability and enigma

Deception and subversion

Rapidity and fluidity

Dispersion and concentration

Surprise and shock

Strategy

Probe enemys organization and dispositions to unmask his strengths, weaknesses, patterns of movement and intentions.

Shape enemys perception of world to manipulate his plans and actions.

Attack enemys plans as best policy. Next best disrupt his alliances. Next best attack his army. Attack cities only when there is no alternative.

Employ cheng and ch'i maneuvers to quickly and unexpectedly hurl strength against weaknesses.

These represent potential asymmetries, that is, things we can exploit to gain an advantage leading to victory over our opponents.

Throughout this presentation, keep asking yourself

What were the asymmetries?

How did the winning side achieve these asymmetries?

How did they use them in order to win?

Sometimes Boyd will give you his answers sometimes you will have to decide for yourself.

Keeping in mind the ideas of Sun Tzu and our comments about early commanders, lets take a look at an early tactical theme and some battle (grand tactical) situations to gain a feel for the different ways that the cheng/ch'i game has been (and can be) played.

to play on surprise in a tortured manipulation of public fear and hope. The objective of such tactics was simple and always the same to frighten the enemy into surrendering before an actual battle began.

By striking deeply behind enemy lines, the Mongols immediately created havoc and panic throughout the kingdom.

The Persian chronicler Ata-Malik Juvaini described his approach air black as night with the dust of cavalry, fright and panic overcame them, and fear and dread prevailed.

Even though outnumbered, why were Mongols able to maneuver in widely scattered arrays without being defeated separately or in detail?

27 21Historical patternsGenghis Khan and the Mongols

Message

By exploiting superior leadership, intelligence, communications, and mobility as well as by playing upon adversarys fears and doubts via propaganda and terror, Mongols operated inside adversary observation-orientation-decision-action loops.

Result

Outnumbered Mongols created impressions of terrifying strengthby seeming to come out of nowhere yet be everywhere.

hence,

Subversive propaganda, clever stratagems, fast breaking maneuvers, and calculated terror not only created vulnerabilities and weaknesses but also played upon moral factors that drain-away resolve, produce panic, and bring about collapse.

28 22Historical patternNapoleons art of war

Revolutionary army gifts to Napoleon

Moral and physical energy of citizen-soldiers and new leaders generated by the revolution and magnified by successes against invading allied armies

Subdivision of army into smaller self-contained but mutually supporting units (divisions)

Rapid march associated with 120 instead of the standard 70 steps per minute

Discontinued adherence to 1791 Drill Regulations pertaining to the well regulated and stereotype use of column and line formations for movement and fighting

Beneficial asymmetry

Mobility/fluidity of force dramatically better than that possessed by potential adversaries.

? Raises question ? How did Napoleon exploit this superior mobility/fluidity of force?33 23Strategy of envelopment(idealized schematic) 24The strategy of central position (idealized schematic)Source David G. Chandler,Waterloo The Hundred Days, 1980.36 25Historical patternNapoleons art of war

Early tactic

The action was opened by a cloud of sharpshooters, some mounted, some on foot, who were sent forward to carry out a general rather than a minutely-regulated mission they proceeded to harass the enemy, escaping from his superior numbers by their mobility, from the effect of his cannon by their dispersal. They were constantly relieved to ensure that the fire did not slacken, and they also received considerable reinforcement to increase their over-all effect Once the chink in foes armour had been revealed the horse artillery would gallop up and open fire with canister at close range. The attacking force would meantime be moving up in the indicated direction, the infantry advancing in column, the cavalry in regiments or squadrons, ready to make its presence felt anywhere or everywhere as required. Then, when the hail of enemy bullets or cannon balls began to slacken The soldiers would begin to run forward, those in the front ranks crossing their bayonets, as the drums beat the charge the sky would ring a thousand battle-cries constantly repeated En avant. En avant. Vive la Republique.

Later tactics

At the outset, a heavy bombardment would be loosed against the enemy formations, causing fearful losses if they failed to seek shelter, and generally lowering their power of resistance. Under cover of this fire, swarms of voltigeurs would advance to within musketry range and add a disconcerting nuisance element by sniping at officers and the like. This preliminary phase would be followed by a series of heavy cavalry and infantry attacks. The secret of these was careful timing and coordination. The first cavalry charges were designed to defeat the hostile cavalry and compel the enemy infantry to form squares, thereby reduce fire in any one direction and enable the columns to get to close grips before the enemy could resume his linear formation. The infantry (deployed or not) and accompanying horse artillery would then blaze a gap in the enemy formation and finally the cavalry would sweep forward, again, to exploit the breakthrough.

Essential point Early tactics, without apparent design, operate in a fluid, adaptable manner to uncover, expand and exploit adversary vulnerabilities and weaknesses while later tactics emphasize massed firepower and stereotyped formations working formally together to smash adversary strength. 37 26Historical patternNapoleons art of war

Critique

Napoleon exploited ambiguity, deception, and mobility at the strategic level,

Napoleon emphasized the conduct of war from the top down. He created and exploited strategic success to procure grand tactical and tactical success.

To support his concept, he set up a highly centralized command and control system which, when coupled with essentially unvarying tactical recipes, resulted in strength smashing into strength by increasingly unimaginative, formalized, and predictable actions at lower and lower levels.

Result Strategic maneuvers ambiguous and deceiving prior to tactical concentration after concentration, maneuvers stereotyped and obvious. hence Tactical maneuvers could not easily procure the victory because of their obvious, predictable nature.38 27Technology and the art of war

The legacy of Napoleon, Clausewitz, and Jominis tactical regularity and the continued use of large stereotyped formations for tactical assault, together with the mobilization of large armies and massing of enormous supplies through a narrow logistics network, telegraphed any punch hence minimized the possibility of exploiting ambiguity, deception, and mobility to generate surprise for a decisive edge.

In this sense, technology was being used as a crude club that generated frightful and debilitating casualties on all sides during the

American Civil War (1861-65)

Austro-Prussian War (1866)

Franco-Prussian War (1870)

Boer War (1899-1902)

Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)

World War I (1914-18)

Point

Evolution of tactics did not keep pace with increased weapons lethality developed and produced by 19th century technology.

? Raises question ?

Why were the 19th century and early 20th century commanders unable to evolve better tactics to avoid over a half century of debilitating casualties?

Defense organized into depth of successive belts of fortified terrain.

Massed artillery and machine-gun fire designed to arrest and pin down attacker.

Counter-attack to win back lost ground.

Result Stagnation and enormous attrition since advances made generally as expected along paths of hardened resistance because of dependence upon railroads and choice of tactics of trying to reduce strong points by massed firepower and infantry.55 29World War Ia way out56 30World War Iinfiltration tactics

Key points

Fire at all levels by artillery, mortars, and machine-guns is exploited to hold adversary attention and pin him down hence

Fire together with gas and smoke (as well as fog and mist) represent an immediate and ominous threat to capture adversary attention, force heads down and dramatically obscure view, thereby cloak infiltrators movements.

Dispersed and irregular character of moving swarms (as opposed to well defined line abreast formations) permit infiltrators to blend against irregular and changing terrain features as they push forward.

Taken together, the captured attention, the obscured view, and the indistinct character of moving dispersed/irregular swarms deny adversary the opportunity to picture what is taking place.

Intelligencesignal, photo, agent reconnaissance (air and ground)and patrol actions probe and test adversary before and during combat operations to uncover as well as shape changing patterns of strengths, weaknesses, moves, and intentions.

Mission assigned. Schwerpunkt (focus of main effort) established before and shifted during combat operations to bypass adversary strength and strike at weakness. Nebenpunkte (other related or supporting efforts) employed to tie-up, focus, or drain-away adversary attention and strength (elsewhere).

Special seizure/disruption teams infiltrate (by air or other means) enemy rear areas where, with agents already in place, they seize bridges and road crossings, sever communications, incapacitate or blow-up power stations, seize or blow-up fuel dumps as well as sow confusion/disorder via false messages and fake orders.

Armored assault teams of tanks, infantry, anti-tank guns, and combat engineers as well as other specialists, together with close artillery and air support, quickly open breaches (via frontal/flank fire and movement combinations) into adversary rear along paths of least resistance uncovered by armored reconnaissance or stormtroopers.

When breakthrough occurs, relatively independent mobile/armored teams led by armored recce with air support (recce, fire, and airlift when necessary), blow-through to penetrate at high speed deep into adversary interior. Object is to cut lines of communication, disrupt movement, paralyze command and envelop adversary forces and resources.

Motorized or foot infantry further back supported by artillery and armor pour-in to collapse isolated pockets of resistance, widen the breaches and secure the encirclement or captured terrain against possible counter-attack.

Idea

Conquer an entire region in the quickest possible time by gaining initial surprise and exploiting the fast tempo/fluidity-of-action of armored teams, with air support, as basis to repeatedly penetrate, splinter, envelop, and roll-up/wipe-out disconnected remnants of adversary organism in order to confuse, disorder, and finally shatter his will or capacity to resist.

70 34What happens if we dont probe, test, uncover and shape? the U.S. intelligence community missed the significance of the Fedayeen organization. It was a striking omission given the visibility of the Fedayeen in Iraqi towns and cities and the vital importance of the Fedayeen to the regime, but understandable given the CIAs dearth of human sources (Gordon Trainor, Cobra II, p. 62) 35Which lead to

Create many opportunities to penetrate weaknesses in the form of any moral or mental inadequacies as well as any gaps or exposed flanks that open into adversarys vulnerable rear and interior, hence-

Create and exploit opportunities to repeatedly penetrate adversary organism, at all levels (tactical, grand tactical, and strategic) and in many ways, in order to splinter, envelop, and roll-up/wipe-out isolated remnants, thereby generate confusion and disorder, hence -

Create and exploit opportunities to disrupt his system for communication, command, and support, as well as undermine or seize those connections or centers that he depends upon, thus shake his will or capacity to decisively commit his back-up echelons, operational reserves, and/or strategic reserves, thereby magnify adversarys confusion and disorder and convince him to give up.

Intent

Create grand tactical success then exploit and expand it into strategic success for a decisive victory.

Implication

Blitzers, by being able to infiltrate or penetrate or get inside adversarys system, generate many moral-mental-physical noncooperative (or isolated) centers of gravity, as well as undermine or seize those centers of gravity adversary depends upon, in order to magnify friction, produce paralysis, and bring about adversary collapse.

87 36Categories of conflictNote Boyd did not use the term maneuver warfare in his briefings.

Now looking back and reflecting upon the panorama of military history we can imagine three kinds of human conflict

Attrition warfareas practiced by the Emperor Napoleon, by all sides during the 19th century and during World War I, by the Allies during World War II, and by present-day nuclear planners.

Ability to minimize the concentrated and explosive expression of destructive force by taking cover behind natural or manmade obstacles, by dispersion of people and resources, and by being obscure using camouflage, smoke, etc., together with cover and dispersion.

Frightful and debilitating attrition via widespread destruction as basis to

Break enemys will to resist

Seize and hold terrain objectives

Aim Compel enemy to surrender and sue for peaceAttrition destruction is the means, not the end.113 39Observations regarding maneuver

Ambiguity, deception, novelty, mobility, and violence (or threat thereof) are used to generate surprise and shock.

Fire and movement are used in combination, like cheng/ch'i or Nebenpunkte/Schwerpunkt, to tie-up, divert, or drain-away adversary attention and strength in order to expose as well as menace and exploit vulnerabilities or weaknesses elsewhere.

Indications of success tend to be qualitative and are related to the widespread onset of confusion and disorder, frequent envelopments, high prisoner counts, or any other phenomenon that suggests inability to adapt to change.

Its the interpretation thats important, not the quantitative data themselves. Unlike attrition warfare, one does not typically reinforce failure.114 40Essence of maneuver conflict

Create, exploit, and magnify

Ambiguity

Alternative or competing impressions of events as they may or may not be.

Deception

An impression of events as they are not.

Novelty

Impressions associated with events/ideas that are unfamiliar or have not been experienced before.

Fast transient maneuvers

Irregular and rapid/abrupt shift from one maneuver event/state to another.

Effort (cheng/ch'i or Nebenpunkte/Schwerpunkt)

An expenditure of energy or an irruption of violencefocused into, or thru, features that permit an organic whole to exist.

Payoff

Disorientation

Mismatch between events one observes or imagines and events (or efforts) he must react or adapt to.

Disruption

State of being split-apart, broken-up, or torn asunder.

Overload

A welter of threatening events/efforts beyond ones mental or physical capacity to adapt or endure.

Note High tempo, not (necessarily) high speed.Aim Generate many non-cooperative centers of gravity, as well as disorient, disrupt, or overload those that adversary depends upon, in order to magnify friction, shatter cohesion, produce paralysis, and bring about his collapse or equivalently, Uncover, create, and exploit many vulnerabilities and weaknesses, hence many opportunities, to pull adversary apart and isolate remnants for mop-up or absorption. 117 41It is true that the Russian can besuperb in defense and recklessin mass attacks, but when facedby surprise and unforeseensituations he is an easy prey topanic. Field Marshal von Manstein proved in this operation that Russian mass attacks should be met by maneuver, not by rigid defense. Panzer Battles,Major General F. W. von Mellenthin,p. 254 42Second impression

permits one to 132 43Select the initiative (or response) that is least expected

(Genghis Khan) had secretly pushed and pulled another division of warriors over a distance longer than any other army had ever coveredtwo thousand miles of desert, mountain, and steppeto appear deep behind enemy lines, where least expected. (Weatherford, p. 4)

We intended to make our decisive thrust not immediately in the area where the front protruded west, but down in the southern sector, along the Black Sea coast. In other words, where the enemy would be least expecting it. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein on the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, May 1942 (Lost Victories, p. 234). Although outnumbered 2-to-1 and facing a well prepared enemy, Manstein won a spectacular victory that led to his promotion to Field Marshal.

45Boyds original concept ofthe OODA loopA scheme like this would be a stage model. The drawbacks of such models are well known see for example, Gary Kleins Sources of Power, pp. 127-128. 46The only drawing Boyd made of the OODA loop (1995)ObserveDecideActOrientUnfoldingCircumstancesObservationsAction(Test)OutsideInformationJ. R. Boyd, the Essence of Winning and Losing, 1995.Orientation is the Schwerpunkt. Organic Design, 16.Emphasize implicit over explicit in order to gain a favorable mismatch in friction and time (ours lower than any adversarys). Organic Design, 22.Interaction permits vitality and growth, while isolation leads to decay and disintegration. Strategic Game, 29. 47PrerequisitesFingerspitzengefühl

An ability to feel or sense the flow of events

Often associated with Rommel

Related to the implicit guidance and control link from orientation to action

When this unminding becomes your mind, you do not dwell on anything and do not miss anything. In your body it comes out when a need faces it, to fulfill that need. Zen Master Takuan (Thomas Cleary, The Japanese Art of War, 65)

You must practice all of your techniques until they become second nature actual combat is extremely fast and demands that you act and react without thinking. Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings

A major difference between a military that can do maneuver warfare in combat and one that can only talk about it is excellence in techniques. Sloppy technique slows down your Boyd Cycle OODA loops and makes your actions ineffective. Bill Lind, Maneuver Warfare Handbook

48Blitz operating philosophy

Key point

Each level from simple to complex (platoon to theater) has their own observation-orientation-decision-action time cycle that increases as we try to control more levels and details of command at the higher levels. Put simply, as the number of events we must consider increase, the longer it takes to observe-orient-decide-act.

Idea

This brings out the idea that faster tempo, or rhythm, at lower levels should work within the slower rhythm but larger pattern at higher levels so that overall system does not lose its cohesion or coherency.

Raises question

How do blitzers harmonize these differing tempos/rhythms so that they can exploit the faster rhythm/smaller pattern (of the lower-level units) yet maintain the coherency of the rhythm/pattern for the larger effort?

Response

Give lower-level commanders wide freedom, within an overall mind-time-space scheme, to shape/direct their own activities so that they can exploit faster tempo/rhythm at tactical levels yet be in harmony with the larger pattern/slower rhythm associated with the more general aim and larger effort at the strategic level.

Shaping agents

Shape overall scheme by using mission concept or sense of mission to fix responsibility and shape commitment at all levels and through all parts of the organism. Likewise, use Schwerpunkt concept through all levels to link differing rhythms/patterns so that each part or level of the organic whole can operate at its own natural rhythmwithout pulling organism apartinstead of the slower pace associated with a rigid centralized control.

72 49 Overall mind-time-space scheme

Message

According to General Gunther Blumentritt, such a scheme presupposes a common outlook based upon a body of professional officers who have received exactly the same training during the long years of peace and with the same tactical education, the same way of thinking, identical speech, hence a body of officers to whom all tactical conceptions were fully clear.

Furthermore, a la General Blumentritt, it presupposes an officers training institution which allows the subordinate a very great measure of freedom of action and freedom in the manner of executing orders and which primarily calls for independent daring, initiative and sense of responsibility.

Point

Without a common outlook superiors cannot give subordinates freedom-of-action and maintain coherency of ongoing action.

Implication

A common outlook possessed by a body of officers represents a unifying theme that can be used to simultaneously encourage subordinate initiative yet realize superior intent.

Boyd also used the German word, Einheit, to describe this common outlook.74 50Schwerpunkt(focus of main effort)

Message

Schwerpunkt acts as a center or axis or harmonizing agent that is used to help shape commitment and convey or carry-out intent, at all levels from theater to platoon, hence an image around which

Maneuver of all arms and supporting elements are focused to exploit opportunities and maintain tempo of operations,

and

Initiative of many subordinates is harmonized with superior intent.

In this sense Schwerpunkt can be thought of as

A focusing agent that naturally produces an unequal distribution of effort as a basis to generate superiority in some sectors by thinning-out others,

as well as

A medium to realize superior intent without impeding initiative of many subordinates, hence a medium through which subordinate initiative is implicitly connected to superior intent.

Implication

Schwerpunkt represents a unifying concept that provides a way to rapidly shape focus and direction of effort as well as harmonize support activities with combat operations, thereby permit a true decentralization of tactical command within centralized strategic guidancewithout losing cohesion of overall effort.

or put another way

Schwerpunkt represents a unifying medium that provides a directed way to tie initiative of many subordinate actions with superior intent as a basis to diminish friction and compress time in order to generate a favorable mismatch in time/ability to shape and adapt to unfolding circumstances.

78 51Auftragstaktikmissions and contracts instead of directives

The concept of mission can be thought of as a contract, hence an agreement, between superior and subordinate.

The subordinate agrees to make his or her actions serve superior's intent in terms of what is to be accomplished,

The superior agrees to give the subordinate wide freedom to exercise his or her imagination and initiative in terms of how intent is to be realized.

52Auftragstaktikwhat commitment means

As part of this concept, the subordinate is given the right to challenge or question the feasibility of the mission if

he feels his superior's ideas on what can be achieved are not in accord with the existing situation or

he feels his superior has not given him adequate resources to carry it out.

Likewise, the superior has every right to expect his subordinate to carry out the mission contract when agreement is reached on what can be achieved consistent with the existing situation and resources provided.J. R. Boyd, Patterns of Conflict, 76 53Auftragstaktik

But once the attack is underway and the situation begins changing rapidly, the subordinate will again be expected to adjust his actions to the changes on his own initiative, with appropriate references to his superiors intent. Lind, Maneuver Warfare Handbook, 13-14

Advantages of Auftragstaktik

Leaders at all echelons are forced to analyze their own situations as well as that of the next highest command

Transmission of orders from one command level to another is expedited

Measures taken at the scene of action are in harmony with actual conditions

It provides for the degree of cooperation necessary to achieve harmony of effort yet gives commanders at all levels the latitude to act with initiative and boldness It is not more command and control that we are after. Instead, we seek to decrease the amount of command and control that we need. MCDP 6, Command and Control, Ch. 3

54Before you rush in

Mission command and control demands mutual trust among all commanders, staffs, and Marinesconfidence in the abilities and judgment of subordinates, peers, and seniors.

MCDP 6, p. 10

Such a system, of course, presupposes uniformity of thinking and reliability of action only to be attained by thorough training and long experience. More importantly still, complete confidence of superiors and their subordinates and vice versa is absolutely indispensable.

van Creveld, Fighting Power, p. 36.

In other words, you must earn the rightto use Auftragstaktik.Version 1.210 March 2005 55Idealized schematicThe FESA climate 56What OODA loop speedreally means

Commanders must create a bond and breadth of experience based upon trustnot mistrustfor cohesion.

How is this atmosphere achieved?

By example leaders (at all levels) must demonstrate requisite physical energy, mental agility, and moral authority, to inspire subordinates to enthusiastically cooperate and take initiatives within superiors intent.

What is the price?

Courage to share danger and discomfort at the front.

Willingness to support and promote (unconventional or difficult) subordinates that accept danger, demonstrate initiative, take risks, and come-up with new ways toward mission accomplishment.

Dedication and resolve to face-up to and master uncomfortable circumstances that fly in the face of the traditional solution.

Benefit

Internal simplicity that permits rapid adaptability.

118 60Essence of moral conflict

Create, exploit, and magnify

Menace

Impressions of danger to ones well being and survival.

Uncertainty

Impressions, or atmosphere, generated by events that appear ambiguous, erratic, centers of gravity, as well as subvert contradictory, unfamiliar, chaotic, etc.

Mistrust

Atmosphere of doubt and suspicion that loosens human bonds among members of an organic whole or between organic wholes.

Idea

Surface, fear, anxiety, and alienation in order to generate many non-cooperative centers of gravity, as well as subvert those that adversary depends upon, thereby magnify internal friction.

Aim Destroy moral bonds that permit an organic whole to existIn other words, pump up these122 61Essence of moral conflict

Atmosphere of doubt and suspicion that loosens human bonds among members of an organic whole or between organic wholes

Counterweights

Initiative

Internal drive to think and take action without being urged

Adaptability

Power to adjust or change in order to cope with new or unforeseen circumstances

Harmony

Interaction of apparently disconnected events or entities in a connected way

Aim Pump-up friction via negative factors to breed fear, anxiety, and alienation in order to generate many non-cooperative centers of gravity, as well as subvert those that adversary depends upon, thereby sever moral bonds that permit adversary to exist as an organic whole. Simultaneously, build-up and play counterweights against negative factors to diminish internal friction, as well as surface courage, confidence, and esprit, thereby make possible the human interactions needed to create moral bonds that permit us, as an organic whole, to shape and adapt to change.125 62Prism of ConflictNote This is my interpretation - as far as I know, Boyd never used it. 63Agenda

Gain support of population. Must arrange the minds of friend, foe and neutral alike. Must get inside their minds.

Must be an idea or thing invulnerable, without front or back, drifting about like a gas (inconspicuousness and fluidity-of action). Must be an attack-in-depth.

Tactics should be tip-and-run, not pushes but strokes with use of the smallest force in the quickest time at the farthest place.

Should be a war of detachment (avoiding contact and presenting a threat everywhere) using mobility/fluidity-of-action and environmental background (vast unknown desert) as basis for never affording a target and never on the defensive except by accident and in error.

Idea

Disintegrate existing regimes ability to govern.

64 65

Impression

Infiltration tactics a la Ludendorff seem to be similar in nature to irregular or guerrilla tactics a la Lawrence.

Why? Both stress clouded/distorted signatures, mobility and cohesion of small units as basis to insert an amorphous yet focused effort into or thru adversary weaknesses.

65 66Major advances between World Wars I and II

Soviet revolutionary strategy

Lenin, and after him Stalin, exploited the idea of crises and vanguardsthat arise out of Marxian contradictions within capitalismto lay-out Soviet revolutionary strategy.

Result

A scheme that emphasizes moral/psychological factors as basis to destroy a regime from within.

Lightning war (blitzkrieg)

Infiltration tactics of 1918 were mated with

Tank

Motorized Artillery

Tactical Aircraft

Motor Transport

Better Communications

Result

Blitzkrieg to generate a breakthrough by piercing a region with multiple narrow thrusts using armor, motorized infantry, and follow-up infantry divisions supported by tactical aircraft.

Guerrilla war

Mao Tse-Tung synthesized Sun Tzus ideas, classic guerrilla strategy and tactics, and Napoleonic style mobile operations under an umbrella of Soviet revolutionary ideas to create a powerful way for waging modern (guerrilla) war.

Result

Modern guerrilla warfare has become an overall political, economic, social and military framework for total war.

J.F.C. Fuller

Heinz Guderian

by66 67Blitzkrieg and guerrilla strategy

Infiltration and isolation

Blitz and guerrillas infiltrate a nation or regime at all levels to soften and shatter the moral fiber of the political, economic and social structure. Simultaneously, via diplomatic, psychological, and various sub-rosa or other activities, they strip-away potential allies thereby isolate intended victim(s) for forthcoming blows. To carry out this program, a la Sun Tzu, blitz, and guerrillas

Probe and test adversary, and any allies that may rally to his side, in order to unmask strengths, weaknesses, maneuvers, and intentions.

Exploit critical differences of opinion, internal contradictions, frictions, obsessions, etc., in order to foment mistrust, sow discord and shape both adversarys and allies perception of the world thereby

Create atmosphere of mental confusion,

About PowerShow.com

PowerShow.com is a leading presentation/slideshow sharing website. Whether your application is business, how-to, education, medicine, school, church, sales, marketing, online training or just for fun, PowerShow.com is a great resource. And, best of all, most of its cool features are free and easy to use.

You can use PowerShow.com to find and download example online PowerPoint ppt presentations on just about any topic you can imagine so you can learn how to improve your own slides and
presentations for free. Or use it to find and download high-quality how-to PowerPoint ppt presentations with illustrated or animated slides that will teach you how to do something new, also for free. Or use it to upload your own PowerPoint slides so you can share them with your teachers, class, students, bosses, employees, customers, potential investors or the world. Or use it to create really cool photo slideshows - with 2D and 3D transitions, animation, and your choice of music - that you can share with your Facebook friends or Google+ circles. That's all free as well!

For a small fee you can get the industry's best online privacy or publicly promote your presentations and slide shows with top rankings. But aside from that it's free. We'll even convert your presentations and slide shows into the universal Flash format with all their original multimedia glory, including animation, 2D and 3D transition effects, embedded music or other audio, or even video embedded in slides. All for free. Most of the presentations and slideshows on PowerShow.com are free to view, many are even free to download. (You can choose whether to allow people to download your original PowerPoint presentations and photo slideshows for a fee or free or not at all.) Check out PowerShow.com today - for FREE. There is truly something for everyone!

presentations for free. Or use it to find and download high-quality how-to PowerPoint ppt presentations with illustrated or animated slides that will teach you how to do something new, also for free. Or use it to upload your own PowerPoint slides so you can share them with your teachers, class, students, bosses, employees, customers, potential investors or the world. Or use it to create really cool photo slideshows - with 2D and 3D transitions, animation, and your choice of music - that you can share with your Facebook friends or Google+ circles. That's all free as well!

For a small fee you can get the industry's best online privacy or publicly promote your presentations and slide shows with top rankings. But aside from that it's free. We'll even convert your presentations and slide shows into the universal Flash format with all their original multimedia glory, including animation, 2D and 3D transition effects, embedded music or other audio, or even video embedded in slides. All for free. Most of the presentations and slideshows on PowerShow.com are free to view, many are even free to download. (You can choose whether to allow people to download your original PowerPoint presentations and photo slideshows for a fee or free or not at all.) Check out PowerShow.com today - for FREE. There is truly something for everyone!